Feature Story
Game plan to becoming the performance goalie
Each year for the past 23 years, I have
selected a guest writer for the Coaches’ Corner column. This provides a fresh
view from an exceptional individual that may give coaches some tools to better
coach their team.
This year’s guest writer is Greg Cylkowski, M.A., a well-known sports analyst who is based
locally in the Twin Cities. For the past 25 years, Greg’s background in Sports
Psychology and Motor Development has led Olympic, professional and amateur
athletes alike to call upon his performance enhancement coaching. His unique
concepts have also been published in many sports and hockey publications. To learn more about Greg’s services, he may
be contacted at (651) 484-8299.
This is the final week that I turn my column
over to Greg Cylkowski.
By Greg Cylkowski
It is often said that the world’s
greatest goalies are rarely seen at hockey’s highest level of play – rather the
best “players of life” who prepare for that moment are the ones who attain that
elusive status. Since there is more to performing than just athletic ability
and goaltending skills, it becomes imperative that netminders
at an early stage of their careers develop sound practice and game day routines
– if they truly
aspire to achieving personal bests.
There are many considerations that need
to be addressed when preparing oneself for a game – irrespective of whether one
is starting or serving in a backup capacity. First, rest your eyes and legs on
the day of a game. Don’t get involved in any activity that will put undue
strain on your eyes, such as reading or watching too much television.
Carefully organize your meals so that
you’ll be playing on a light stomach. It is best to eat four or five hours
before game time and cut out greasy or spicy foods that could act up later. Of
course a good night’s sleep both the night before as well as the preceding
evening before the game is essential. In fact, you must maintain a sound
pattern of sleep throughout the entire season to preserve your strength.
It’s showtime! Get to the rink with plenty of time. There is no sense being
late for a game and having to hurry into equipment. There should be no last
minute repairs on equipment either. It’s a good idea to have all your equipment
on with plenty of time remaining before faceoff. This
will give you time to make everything feel right and perhaps get you to sweat a
little bit.
Next it is important to get a good
warm-up. Don’t tolerate anybody moving in too close when you aren’t ready. Have
the players shoot from outside and keep their shots
down (speak to your coach if you feel that the warm-ups are not effective).
If you are playing away from your home
rink, carefully check out the boards and lighting. See if any end offers
particular advantage. Test how lively the boards are. Note where the Zamboni comes on to the ice and see if the boards are true
there. Check the glass, wire, netting or whatever is behind the net. You don’t
want to be surprised by an odd deflection when the game starts.
Now comes the
opening faceoff. Follow the
same set of pre-game routines religiously from the music you listen to for
inspiration to the self-made audio tapes you may have designed for visualization
purposes.
You must have full control of your mind
and be concentrating on the puck. You must not be distracted by stray thoughts.
Ignore the crowd. Never respond to them; that’s what they want. Think only
about your game.
You should dismiss any stray thoughts
such as how good or bad a team is, how good or bad a player is, etc. Don’t
think about specific types of situations ahead of time and what you’d do if
they occur. You have played enough that you’ll know what to do when the time
comes. The position is instinctive. Take
each situation as it occurs.
Relax every chance you get when play has
stopped. Be loose and confident. If you are scored on, forget it. Don’t dwell
on mistakes. There is plenty of time to think about the goals after the game.
You must bounce back immediately. If you hang your head, your teammates lose
faith in you and you can’t play your game.
Don’t play mental games that can torture yourself. Don’t be thinking shutout to the extent that you
are broken when you let one in. Just take the ice knowing that you are a good
goalie and that the pressure is on the enemy; they have to beat you. Don’t look
back or think too far ahead. Just be a picture of
consistency, taking each situation as it comes.
Be in the game in every sense. Some
goalies are fixed on that puck, with their eyes and their mind,
so much that they lose touch with the entire game. A goalie can control the
tempo of a game. Know when your team needs a whistle. Have these players been
out here too long? Are we being run around in our own end?
Get a faceoff.
Be in charge out there. Be talkative, alive. Give your teammates confidence and
let the other team know that you are in command. Exude confidence to the point
that the other team knows you are going to be tough to beat.
Are you the type that’s nervous before
the game? Most goalies are at all
levels. But once that puck is dropped, the nerves will disappear. You’ve got to
love the game and welcome the opportunity to show what you can do. The only way
you can do that is by knowing your position.
Confidence isn’t phony. The confident
goalie is the one who works hard to master the position. The hard work allows
you to take the ice with a smile because you know the enemy is going to have to
work for everything they get. And you’ll relish every save because it proves
that you are a master at what you do. And that feeling of accomplishment and
success is what it is all about.
The following case study represents a
common dilemma that goaltenders need to address in their ongoing training and
player development.
Situation: As a goalie, I sometimes feel alone as though I’m not an
integral part of the team. Better yet, it seems as though the coach doesn’t
really understand goaltending. What can I do without offending anyone?
Strategy: Goaltending, much like a kicker in football, is basically an
individual position played within a team sport environment. In fact, many
coaches feel as though the unique personalities of these “team” specialists are
unlike the basic nature that is indicative of the rest of the team.
What you need to do is “make” yourself a
bigger part of the whole picture by becoming involved more in all phases of the
game: practices, meetings and pre-game rituals. Try to have your teammates
understand both the physical and mental intricacies of being a goalie.
Likewise, take the time to listen and learn from other positions as well.
Hockey may appeal to most athletes, but goaltending simply isn’t for everyone.
Don’t let people think that you are “forced” to be a goalie because you may not
have been a strong skater. Instead, visualize yourself as an “artist” of sorts,
much like the greatest
Regarding your coach’s attitude, this is
not only common, but is even prevalent at the professional level. To bridge this
gap, attend goalie specific camps and try to establish a relationship with a
goalie coach. Better yet, befriend a goaltender at a higher level who could
serve as your mentor – someone you can call upon who truly realizes the
dilemmas that you are confronted with. Such a relationship would provide you
with an opportunity whereby you could be critiqued properly while still having
the support and camaraderie to share the many situations that only goalies can
relate to. However, whatever you decide to do, remember to stay focused as a
goalie first, then as a hockey player.
Let’s Play Hockey
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